What the future demands

For young generation in Kashmir, entering the labour market is a considerable challenge. The path is hindered by a constellation of constraints.

The recent economic crisis brought on by COVID-19 demonstrated that youth integration into the employment market is becoming increasingly difficult. While unemployment rates and the percentage of young people losing jobs have increased dramatically.

Kashmir is now experiencing a youth bulge, with 60% of the state’s population falling between 18 and 30 which is likely to continue for the next 20 years. Only an insignificant percentage of Kashmiri youth have access to high-quality education.

This scenario necessitates additional skill-oriented programmes for youth to develop work prospects, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) figures, J&K has a 22.2 percent unemployment rate, which is even higher than the national level unemployment rate of 7.1 percent recorded across India. Unemployment and underemployment are two of the most severe difficulties that Kashmiris face, and they are significant roadblocks to economic progress.

The scarcity of trained human resources is one of the leading causes of unemployment. It is becoming increasingly clear that employment options for graduates of general topics are becoming limited in the current environment. The education provided at the bachelor’s degree level is neither market-oriented nor skill-oriented.

The government should focus on launching skill development programmes for the younger generation. It is perhaps in common knowledge that well-implemented skill development programmes can contribute significantly to Kashmir’s socio-economic growth and improve the economic position of the poorest members of society by providing them with decent earning prospects.

This brings the debate over Kashmir’s technical and vocational education and training sectors, which has become a significant policy problem, to the fore. The extensive list of inadequate manufacturing facilities is due to a lack of finances for effective maintenance of technical equipment and a concentration on theory rather than actual skill optimization.

Institutes entice students by promising monthly scholarships and tuition waivers, but they fail to provide them with the necessary skills to compete in local and countrywide job markets. These institutes’ graduates will almost certainly have a diploma but no work.

Technical and vocational training can help to generate earning prospects for young people, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

No one can deny the importance of skill development programmes in helping young people realize their full potential. The quality and uniformity of the curriculum and the dissemination of practical skills should be the focus of an effective technical and vocational education and training offering.

Before initiating any skill development programme, it is crucial to raise awareness about the program’s benefits and drawbacks through appropriate channels so that the maximum number of people can benefit from it.

The government should target young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds with limited prospects and financial means for further education to make them members of the state’s skilled human resource pool.

A state with such a precious resource as a young population has the opportunity to reinvent itself as a critical source of trained and experienced workers, given the declining labour force and rising senior population. Our representatives must pay close attention to the production of professional and dynamic human resource.

Vocational training is essential since it may connect young people’s skills to businesses’ needs. Bringing vocational training closer to the needs of dynamically changing and growing labour markets and economies can assist young people in finding more productive and long-term employment.

In the eyes of young people, a “good job” begins a long-term investment in and connection to the labour market; thus, a job that includes formal training is an excellent job by definition.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.

The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.